iGaming Conferences
Going Online:
Leveraging Current Trends
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Now that many online iGaming conferences have moved online thanks to the global coronavirus situation, each operator who is looking to exhibit at or attend one of the events needs to know how they can be as successful as possible and make as many business opportunities as they can from these special events.

One of the key activities in preparing for an online conference is knowing what trends are going to be prevalent there, and shaping their event strategy to accommodate these trends and get the most from the events. Naturally, the switch to online events provides several challenges, as well as the need to change strategies to make these events profitable. Some trends will be similar to offline conferences in years gone by, but many will be new and innovative, and will take rather a lot of forward planning.

Trends at online events

It is very important to know which trends will feature at online conferences if you want to use these events as an integral part of your sales and marketing strategy. Here are some of the top trends that will be extremely important moving forward if businesses want to make a success of online conferences:

1. A truly international network of attendees
Now that events are remote and conducted over the internet, the geographical limitations that stopped certain people from attending certain events have now been left in the past. Anyone can now attend an online conference without having to travel hundreds of miles - and spending lots of money - to do so.

So what does this mean for iGaming businesses? It means that the people you connect with at conferences can be much more diverse, and you aren't limited to the people that you would normally see at offline conferences. You can get a different flavour of the types of services on offer on an international scale rather than simply a regional one.

2. Virtual and augmented reality to create amazing experiences
Although virtual and augmented reality have already become a part of offline iGaming conferences, they will take more of a central role in online events seeing as though there is such a great need to create valuable, immersive experiences remotely. Brands that master and execute a solid virtual reality strategy online will see their potential customers engaging with them more.

One of the principal reasons that events and conferences are so popular and successful is because people and companies are enabled to connect with each other. Naturally, this is made significantly harder by going online, but VR and AR can make these events more special by creating immersive experiences and content.

3. Video calls and webinars replacing face-to-face contact
Offline conferences are a great place to catch up with existing clients and partners, as well as making new ones. One of the reasons for this is because it is so easy to arrange to grab a coffee with someone from your network, go for lunch with a potential supplier, or simply build up a list of fantastic contacts by browsing the stands on offer.

Unfortunately, creating an environment where these small meetings can happen is next to impossible when conferences are moving online. This is one of the major obstacles that all parties involved in online iGaming events have to overcome. That's why video calls and webinars will have to come to the fore and be the main channel for communication. This will take a lot of preparation and planning, and of course everyone will have to be tech-savvy enough to conduct online meetings seamlessly!

4. Leveraging social media to start business conversations
One of the principal ways that meetings can be arranged and leads found for online events is by taking to social media to organise them. LinkedIn will become more important than ever for people attending the online conferences and who are looking to find the right people and opportunities that they are looking for. This is something that is way easier at offline conferences, but next to impossible online.

Thorough research into the people that will be attending will be key. This information could be sought out on Facebook, for example and from there you can start to develop a timetable and a strategy for how you will meet people and speak with them at the online conference. We could even see a situation where simply seeing that someone is attending an online conference may be enough to create a new partnership and make a new deal! By taking to social media, the online conferences are not limited to simply the timeframe they take place - activity can happen before, during and after.

5. Being creative with your content to grab your audience's attention
Creating content at an offline iGaming conference is challenging enough, given that you are competing with hundreds of other providers with big budgets, creative agencies and industry experts, but being creative with your content at an online iGaming event will be even more challenging.

Whether it's keynote speakers with vast online gambling industry experience, informative and engaging video content, or cutting edge thought leadership through articles and white papers, you need to be creating content that grabs your desired audience's attention. This means thinking through and planning your content, creating it professionally, and then using an experienced content manager to put it in front of the people that need to see it. You should also bear in mind that you need to be creating this content before the events, in order to drum up enthusiasm about your business and its offerings.

6. Fully integrated event software for a seamless event experience
For an online event to run seamlessly and to make sure that you are able to get what you want out of it, you need the right technology in place to facilitate the experience. It is wise to seek out a provider with a full-stack, integrated software solution for your online conference needs. If you don't, then you will risk losing out on leads and business opportunities.

There are plenty of options for this type of service, for example All in the Loop, who can help you to produce a seamless experience for your potential iGaming clients, including event registration, lead retrieval, live Q&A sessions, and advanced networking features. Companies that provide services like these will become integral in online iGaming conferences in the coming months and years.

7. Creating a quirky, fun and interesting event atmosphere from home
There isn't much quite like the buzzing atmosphere of an offline iGaming conference, with thousands of people milling about, interesting stands to engage with, and plenty of business people to network with and create amazing commercial opportunities with. Probably the biggest challenge faced by online gambling providers when thinking about taking part in an online conference is how they can recreate this atmosphere.

One of the major trends in online conferences will be seeing iGaming businesses try out different and innovative tactics to try and create fun and interesting experiences for potential customers. There will be many success stories but also many failures where companies don't quite get their approach right. Only time will tell about how iGaming businesses will best leverage virtual events to create an atmosphere that will drive sales.

Next Steps

Virtual conferences are the new normal, and if you are an online gambling business looking to exhibit, then you need to prepare for them with the right tech, strategy and content. If you fail to do this, you won't create the unique experiences that you need to attract the right customers and boost your sales.

Planning, much like at offline conferences, will play a big part in preparing for virtual iGaming events, although the type of planning that you undertake will come in a very different form than previously. Seek advice where necessary, and be as thorough as you can when planning your meetings, content and visuals. If you plan correctly and thoroughly, you will more likely make a success of your event.

Take the time to visit various other online events and conferences not only in the iGaming industry, but across other industries as well. These will give you a good idea of what to do and what not to do at virtual conferences, and you will manage to create fantastic experiences for your customers.
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